1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective suit, especially for protective or military purposes, for example, an NBC protective suit or the like. In particular, this invention relates to a protective suit which is made in two parts, with a top part, especially a jacket, and a bottom part, especially trousers.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a series of substances which are absorbed by the skin and which lead to serious physical injury. Examples are the blistering mustard gas (yellow cross) and the nerve agent Sarin. Individuals who can come into contact with these poisons must wear a special protective suit or must be protected against these poisons by suitable protective materials.
Basically, there are three types of protective suits: Airtight and water vapor-impermeable protective suits, which are provided with a rubber layer which is impermeable to chemical poisons, and which lead very quickly to accumulation of heat. Furthermore, there are air-permeable and water vapor-permeable protective suits which offer the greatest wearing comfort, and finally protective suits which are provided with a membrane which does pass water vapor, but not the aforementioned poisons.
Protective suits against chemical warfare agents which are intended for longer use under the most varied conditions must not lead to heat accumulation for the wearer. Therefore, mainly air-permeable materials are used for these purposes.
The permeable protective suits which are porous to air generally have an adsorption layer with activated carbon which binds the chemical poisons very stably, so that there is no danger at all to the user even from highly contaminated protective suits. The major advantage of these protective suits is that the activated carbon is also accessible on the inside so that poisons which have penetrated at damage sites or other leaks can be very quickly adsorbed. The adsorption layer in the above described permeable, air-porous protective suits is made in most cases such that either on average up to roughly 1.0 mm activated carbon grains, especially activated carbons spherules, are bonded to an adhesive mass which has been pressed onto a carrier, or however, a reticulated PU foam which is impregnated with “carbon paste” (i.e. binder and activated carbon) is used as the absorption layer, generally a cover material being added to the adsorption layer and the layer being covered by a light textile material on the inside facing the wearer. Furthermore, there are also composites which contain activated carbon surface structures.
Additionally, protective suits can be used which are provided with a membrane which is made permeable to water vapor to increase the comfort of wearing, but at the same time acts as a barrier layer against liquids, especially poisons.
Finally, protective suits are also used which combine an adsorption layer which contains activated carbon and a membrane.
In general, the above described protective suits can be made in one part, especially in the form of overalls, but also in two parts, i.e., as a suit consisting of a jacket and trousers. Protective suits in the form of overalls compared to the two-part protective suits have the advantage that they do not have a transition from the jacket and trousers which entails the danger that toxic substances can penetrate through this transition and can come into contact with the wearer of the protective suit. Also dirt, dust and sand under extreme conditions of use can penetrate via this transition between the jacket and trousers and foul the protective suit from the inside and in this way reduce the comfort of wearing.
On the other hand, protective suits made in two parts from a top part, especially a jacket, and a bottom part, especially trousers, have the decisive advantage of improved comfort of wearing compared to protective overalls. In particular, the top part can be opened outside of use; this contributes decisively to wearing comfort, especial to preventing the accumulation of heat.